Music

Hello St. Andrew's!

Just a simple thought to start your month: If you're ever wondering, like I do, whether old traditions have relevance today, the answer is yes. 

From my perspective, it doesn't even need to be argued whether old traditions are relevant. The real deal is that they still exist and are known by people. They wouldn't survive if thy weren't relevant, period. And that is what is so freeing about the whole discussion. The things that truly matter to us as humans will live on, unless we hack at their roots. 

Christianity is one example of this, and it can be exemplified so well by music. So much of the British liturgical tradition hinges on old music. We all know this to a certain extent: plenty of our favorite hymn tunes are a few centuries old. But did you know that many are even older? Many of the hymns based on medieval Gregorian chant date back to the 6th or 7th centuries A.D. Others still are possibly older because they had been orally passed down before they were written down. 

It is a privilege to be able to reap the benefits of old traditions, Christianity and music alike. In our pursuit for what is true, useful, and relevant, let us hope that we never force the annihilation of the rich germ of tradition, since it is only natural for it to grow from the roots up and stay thriving.

~Audrey Drennen